Virtual and augmented reality-based head mounted display (HMD) systems are characterized by a high display resolution and high rendering refresh rates, and therefore may result in high power. For mobile HMDs, high power consumption may in turn, effect battery life. High power consumption may necessitate an increase in size and weight due to thermal issues and lower batter life for battery powered usages.
A display screen, such as, for example, an HMD, is the only source of light reaching the eye of a user. When viewing the display, the pupil expands and contracts to control amount of light entering the eye. Palpebral movement by the eyelid, for example, will cause blinking when viewing the screen. The general rate of blinking is at least 6 times per minute (varies depending on person and activity). For each blink, the eye may be fully closed for 200-400 ms. Current displays for HMDs have a rendering rate of about 90 frames per second for a VR environment, which may result in multiple frames per blink that will be rendered and displayed and will never be seen by the user.